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Tag: life

  • My life isn’t going anywhere

    Feeling Alone. Image from: google.com/images

    The Question:

    Dear Kristin Nicole;

    Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m alone. My family does try to reach out but I just shut down. I have all these mixed feelings about where my life is going. I don’t have a job and I just feel as if my world is closing in. I don’t have motivation to do anything, even though I want to grow out of this rut. How can I do this? Help!

    ~Alone

    My Response:

    Dear Alone;

    You aren’t alone, you have to first realize that your family is there. You already know because you said it, but you need to accept it and let them in. Family is there through hard times, and if they are trying to be there for you then appreciate that and let them help you. There are some people who don’t have families, and there are some people whose families don’t offer help. Be grateful for your family and let them guide you to where you want to go. If you are feeling depressed maybe talking to a professional will help you get out of that rut, and get motivated into getting your life back on track. Make a list of the goals you want to take. The new year is approaching, make these goals a New Years resolution. Get out there and search for a job, go back to school if you aren’t in school and get back on track. You are the only person who can get you motivated. Start looking at what makes you happy and go for it.

    xo,

    kristin nicole

  • Feeling Lost

    Feeling Lost. image by: google.com/images

    The Question:

    Dear Kristin Nicole;

    I feel like I’m losing control of how I feel. Sometimes I feel okay and happy and other times I am feeling like the world is passing me by and I don’t know how to make it slow down. I feel like nothing right is going on in my life, and as much as I try, I feel like I am stuck in the same place I have been in for the last few years. How do I try to get out of this rut and into making things happen?

    ~Feeling Lost

    My Response:

    Dear Feeling Lost;

    It’s normal to feel lost sometimes, I think at one point in everyone’s life we sometimes wonder where our lives are going. If you feel like you are stuck, try to write down a few goals you want to finish (realistic time frame goals) before the year is over. We can not sit and wait for things to happen in life, sometimes we need to get up and push a little. If you are looking for a career change, maybe it’s time to go back to school. If you already have your education then get out there and start applying to every job that interests you. If you have the dream job and you are more concerned with financial stability, then talk to your boss about a raise or start looking for another job that will pay you more. If you just feel like you are stuck where you are, just know that you are never truly stuck. You can always move, and try something different. If you are in a relationship and you feel you are stuck there too, then talk to your boyfriend/girlfriend, see where your relationship is going. I am not sure exactly where you feel stuck, so I am just putting things out there. Feeling stuck can be draining sometimes. Sometimes we have to truly sit back and reflect on what we want to change. It isn’t going to be easy but when we push ourselves, you will be surprised at how far you can go.

    kristin nicole

  • Dream Big

    Dream Big

    Dream Big

    Some people dream big, they go for what they want and they don’t stop until they get there, others dream and are disappointed by life’s outcomes and they give up hope that any dream will ever come true. If we give up on our dreams, what do we have left? Dreaming can only give us hope, hope that one day we will grow up to be what we have dreamed of since we were little, or just hope that one day we will be where we want to be when we figure out where “this dream” really is… I can’t say I have wanted to be a writer since I was little, I really didn’t start writing until I was about 15 years old. I remember sitting on my recliner at home one day and just being inspired to write a poem. Once I started writing, I couldn’t stop. Even then, I didn’t really think about becoming a writer/editor of any sort, I wrote because I loved it, I never thought in a million years it would be something I would want to do for the rest of my life, not only because it inspires me but because when I write, it’s the one thing that makes me want more.

    So I’m not exactly where I would want to be in my life right now, and no I don’t get paid for writing (at least not yet), but I do it and in some form it brings me satisfaction, knowing someone out there is reading this right now, knowing that in some ways I may have helped someone with my writing, and knowing that one day this will be my full time job (although I wouldn’t see it as a job, more of a blessing). I know what it feels like to feel like nothing is going right in life, and I know how it feels like when that door finally opens and you can see a little bit of hope peaking out, not knowing where it is going to lead, but knowing that wherever you are going is going to be where you’re supposed to be. I’m not saying dreaming is easy, life gives a lot of disappointments, but with disappointments comes strength and with strength comes the faith that dreaming big, is what will lead us to where we want to be.

    Don’t ever stop dreaming big, when we stop dreaming, we stop hoping, and when we stop hoping nothing is left but a little black hole, open your dreams to a new beginning and have faith that one day all our hard work will lead us to a new beginning, a beginning to where dreams come true…
    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • Don’t EVER Give Up….. Live your Dream

    Don’t allow yourself to Break…. Do something about it…..

    When someone you love is breaking and there isn’t anything you can do about it, it leaves you feeling helpless and useless. It breaks even your heart just to see them breaking. Sometimes I wish I could tell this person to wake up and smell the roses, life is too short to be miserable all the time, why are you choosing to live this way? But are they choosing to live this way? Is it a choice to be blinded by life and the changes we can’t determine in life’s path? When we hold hope to something important to us it sometimes blinds us from the truth. I’ve always said, ’the mind blinds what the heart doesn’t want to feel.’ Or does the heart blind us from what we don’t want to see. As much as we try to protect our hearts, we cannot fight the inevitable. What is meant to be is meant to be, and no matter how many wrong turns we make, you’ll end up just where you are supposed to be. We don’t see why things happen in the moments but we later discover that we had to go through them to be where we are today, to be who we are today. Everyone has regrets, it’s up to us to hold on to them or let them go, because we can’t turn back the clocks, we can’t change time and we can’t change the decisions we have made. The only thing we can do is learn from them, hope that things will get better, that deep down in the hearts of all desires our wishes, our hopes and our dreams will in fact one day come true. If we stay buried in the hopes of all things impossible you will lead a sad life. We have to lift ourselves up, find deep down what it is that will truly make us happy, and go for it. I’m not saying you won’t fail; sometimes we have to fail a few times in order to get to where we want to be. I know I’ve failed more than a few times at more than a few things. I get up and I keep pushing forward. I only hope that whoever is listening right now does the same…. Don’t let the fears of moving forward hold you down, if we don’t try to be happy, if we don’t try to do what we want in life, then we only have ourselves to blame for the sadness and tribulations we keep living over and over again. Because when life gives you lemons, you don’t just throw them away, you make lemonade. For me…. I MAKE A VODKA TONIC

    Live life to the fullest, don’t ever let anyone tell you that you CAN’T succeed and don’t ever lose faith in yourself. If you are scared of being alone, remember that no one is every alone unless they choose to be alone, and life is too short to live not knowing what you want in life, to live unhappy and unsure of yourself, because at the end of the day all we have in life are the few moments that make us look back and smile, the moments in life where you say…. I loved that day, that moment, that minute, that second of my life and today I can truly say that with all the hard times, with all the tribulations I have come across in my life, I am still pushing forward, I am still trying to discover things about myself and I am still dreaming my dreams, and one day…. I’ll be LIVING THEM.

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • Moral Code

    Moral Code

    There are many reasons why people should live by a moral code. Moral is defined as concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. As humans we are tempted with good and evil all the time, it is our up bringing and our morals that help us decide whether or not our decisions are for the good or bad. It is natural to sometimes want something we cannot have nor do something in which we have been restricted to do, it is in what we believe in that we choose the right or wrong paths.
    Dr. Kent M. Keith wrote a book about moral and ethic codes. He believed these codes are what we should follow in order to be good. Dr. Keith started with the Do No Harm list. The list consisted of ‘Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you.’ This saying has been around for year perhaps centuries. I believe this to be true. I believe in Karma and what you do to others can easily come back to you. If we would not like someone to do something to us it is not right to do it to someone else in return. More on the list was, do not lie, do not steal, do not cheat, do not murder etc. The other list was named ‘Do Good’, and this list consisted of, do to others what you would like them to do to you, be honest and fair, be generous, be faithful to your family and friends etc. (Kent M. Keith 2003, 2006).

    There are many moral codes in which we should follow, it does not mean that if you don’t follow them, you are evil or bad, it’s a choice and we all have to make choices in life. Personally I think we grow up learning right from wrong, but some people are not so lucky. Some people grow up thinking, that stealing is the only way to survive in the world, that selling drugs can help put food on the table. If we grow up not truly knowing right from wrong, it is our teachers and our education that should point us in the right direction.

    In life we learn right from wrong and our parents teach us how to respect ourselves, love ourselves and love others in return. We need to learn to respect ourselves and others and love ourselves and others. There are many people who do not learn to respect themselves. If we believe we are garbage we live with garbage, if we believe that we do not deserve love we will not find love. Our thoughts into the universe are so important and we need to learn how to respect and love ourselves. Children are very vulnerable and if they believe that they do not have love and respecting others is not the way to live, they will follow the wrong path.

    It is important to love ourselves and know that we deserve only the best and respect from others in return. As we get older we enter into relationships, and some people enter relationships that can become abusive. If we learn to love and respect ourselves when we see that someone is not loving us or respecting us we will know that it is no good and we will know that we deserve so much better, this will help you find the strength inside yourself to leave the relationship in which is bad for you. If we do not learn to love and respect ourselves you may think that you do not deserve better, and you can fall into an abusive relationship that can lead a life of sadness and misery.
    Everyone lives by a different moral code, codes that we design or a code by which god has given us. It is up to us to believe in what is moral and to believe in the righteous path in which we are supposed to live. Life is hard and it comes with many obstacles in which we need to take, it is only our moral codes that can guide us in the right direction.

    xo,
    kristin nicole

    References
    Clark, K., & Poortenga, A. (2003). The story of ethics: Fulfilling our human nature
    The Ten Commandements Bible list – What are the Ten Commandments? (n.a) – Retrived April 30, 2011 from http://www.the-ten-commandments.org/the-ten-commandments.html
    The Universal Moral (2003,2006)) – Retrieved April 30, 2011 from http://www.universalmoralcode.com/

  • Self Esteem

    Self-Esteem

    Self-Esteem has been an issue for many people through out the years. As individuals there are flaws we seek out from our selves that make us feel insecure and unhappy. Some self-esteem issues can cause psychological disorders, from a young age a child who does not experience the opportunity to differentiate themselves, and lack the opportunity to idealize others while taking pride in themselves, may later suffer from a disorder called narcissistic personality, this is a result from self-esteem issues. “The narcissistic personality is characterized by a grandiose and exaggerated sense of self-importance and an exploitive attitude towards others, which serve the function of masking a frail self-concept.” (Corey, 2009). Self-esteem issues can result in problems later on in your personal relationships. The National Association for Self-Esteem web site is very interesting. It gives different concepts and explanations on helping a person to improve their self-esteem.

    What is self-esteem? According to the National Association for Self-Esteem, self-esteem is thought of as a person whom trusts in his or her own being to life affirming, constructive, responsible and trustworthy views. A word many people use trying to describe self-esteem is a feeling of feeling good about yourself, or having positive feelings about oneself. Unfortunately many people suffer from having low self-esteem. Some people have even gone to state that self-esteem is equivalent with egotism, arrogance, conceit, narcissism, a sense of superiority and, a trait leading to violence. People with low self-esteem tend to try to prove themselves to others. They use others for their own gain, to make themselves feel better about their lives. Many people who suffer from the lack of self-esteem lack self confidence in themselves, they have doubts about their worth and acceptability, and usually are reluctant to take risks or expose themselves to failure. Those who suffer from low self-esteem tend to blame others for the lack of shortcomings rather than take responsibility for their own actions.

    Feelings of insecurity can lead to psychological issues, such as discussed earlier like narcissism and other types of disorders like depression. There are ways to try and build your self-esteem, to try and make your life positive and grow from the feelings of insecurities to feelings of self worth and positive attributes. On the website they have a Building Positive Self Esteem section where it has a Self Esteem Lesson Plan Improving Self Esteem in Adults. This plan has a step-by-step plan to help those with low self-esteem. Building self-esteem is building a positive attribute that the person needs to learn how to build inside him or herself. Self-Esteem is not based on the things you have in life, like your house, car, school, relationships, money etc, it is based on how a person feels about themselves. According to the website positive self esteem is meeting life’s challenges and not feeling victimized, taking responsibility for your thoughts, words and actions, and making conscious choices to support and care for yourself.

    Each lesson plan takes you through a journey into learning yourself and accepting yourself. Lesson one is to read about how the brain works, this helps a person learn and recognize behavioral thoughts and patterns; you can change these patterns and habits if you can recognize them. Lesson two, you discover what you believe about yourself and you make the decision on your own to change to a healthy self-esteem. Lesson three is to learn how to meditate and use relaxation techniques to allow your self to experience feeling calm, peaceful, confident, and loving self. Developing meditation practices is one of the most powerful ways a person can find inner peace within themselves, this is important to feel positive about yourself and your life. Lesson four is to learn how to respect, care for and love yourself. You cannot have a healthy self-esteem if you do not have respect for the one person who will take care of you, this person is you. Lesson five is to focus on your choices in life. When a person has low self-esteem you sometimes feel like you have no choice but to do certain things, when you have a healthy self-esteem you learn that you can make whatever choices you have to overcome in life. Lesson six teaches you how to have direction in your life. What you decide in life is up to you. Lesson seven is about visualization. Tapping into your imagination is an important tool into reaching and changing your behavior. Lesson eight teaches you to tap into an invisible energy force, this force includes higher power, spirit, God, universal love, super conscious and intuitive or higher self. Lesson nine summarizes the important components into taking responsibility and overcoming low self-esteem. The last lesson, lesson ten offers an additional lesson plan that some can learn to use in ever day life.

    In life we all have insecurities, we have to learn to not allow them to take over, you cannot allow them to make you feel bad about yourself and have low self-esteem. These techniques can help any type of psychological disorder improve. If person feels depressed due to low self-esteem you need to learn to feel good about yourself, once a person feels better about himself or herself they no longer feel the feelings of depression or narcissism. Boosting your self-esteem is also part of one of the programs they have on the website. Use affirmations to boost your-esteem, they say to carry a saying around with a positive thought about yourself, for example; ‘I am somebody, I love myself, I believe in myself.’ Associate with positive, supportive people. When we surround ourselves with positive people it encourages us to be positive and think good about our selves, if we surround ourselves with negative people it tends to bring you down and only bring negative vibes into your life. Make a list of your past successes, this doesn’t have to only have monumental accomplishments; it can include small victories that you have accomplished throughout your life. The list goes on, stop comparing yourself to others, stop putting yourself down, take advantage of self esteem programs and make a list of your positive qualities. Every morning you should meditate and visualize your day, read inspirational texts and start your day off on a powerful positive start. Communication is key and in like any friendship, relationship or work related aspect it’s important to communicate positively and hang around positive people.
    The National Association for Self Esteem website is a great website to go to if you are feeling insecure about yourself and your life. Self Esteem is important, it determines certain psychological disorders and it can determine how you live your life. Take time to take care of yourself and feel good about yourself. If you do not respect and love yourself it will be very difficult to carry on any type of relationship in your future. Life is never easy, and we are all dealt with negativity in our lives, it is how we believe in ourselves and how we choose the outcomes in our lives that determine our future.

    References

    Corey, G. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (8th ed.) Belmont, CA: Thomas Brooks/Cole.
    National Association for Self Esteem (2010). Self-Esteem Booster. Retrieved January 14, 2012 from: http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/booster.php
    National Association for Self Esteem (2010). Self-Esteem Lesson Plan Imporiving Self Esteem in Adults. Retrieved January 14, 2012 from: http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/self-esteem-lesson-plan.php
    National Association for Self Esteem (2010). What is Self-Esteem? Retrieved January 14, 2012 from: http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/what.php

  • Dream.Love.Believe.Hope

    Dream.Love.Believe.Hope

    Dreams

    Sometimes we aim for a dream and it comes true, other times we aim and miss. I wanted this DREAM to come true so bad, I wanted it to come alive, for all my hard work to finally pay off. Then the news….. “Sorry we decided to go with someone else.” Life doesn’t teach you how to take rejection, it doesn’t teach you what to do next, or what to feel, or what to do. You take the tears and the pain and you keep moving forward.

    In life we wish for the things we want for ourselves and our family, we dream big and we hope that one day, everything will fall into place. When we are hit with the disappointment of seeing our dreams come crashing down, we are filled with a pain so hard that we sometimes forget how to push that pain away to the side and keep pushing forward. We forget what it is to believe in HOPE. No one ever tells you how hard it is to be rejected, no one ever shows you what to do next. In life, we just do it, we just keep moving forward and we hope that one day, that dream will come true.

    I’ll admit, I was crushed, I felt like I had it on the tip of my fingers, I had this faith inside me that my dream was finally coming true, only to hear those horrible words “Sorry & But”. Yes I cried, yes I felt sorry for myself and yes I almost wanted to just give up. But if I gave up, then what good will that be? I love to write, I love to help people with their problems and I’m not going to give up on myself just because someone else doesn’t believe in me. One day I’ll be everything I’ve ever dreamed of and more. I have people who believe in me and most importantly I believe in me.

    When you start to lose faith in yourself, remember that where ever there is a storm of self-pity, there is always a rainbow shinning bright on the other side. Dream.Love.Believe.Hope

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • Life gets BUSY….

    Life gets BUSY….

    So lately I’ve been slacking on Soapnights, there really is no excuse but I just have been feeling very overwhelmed with work, school and my new house.

    Renovating a new house with my boyfriend has taken much more of our time then ever expected. Although we are absolutely loving it and it’s coming out beautiful, it’s a lot of work, time and money.

    Happy New Years By the way…..

    This year we took a trip for new years to a small town called Blairsville, Georgia. It’s a beautiful little town, and getting away from life for a while helped me relax a bit before starting the new year.

    In life we sometimes get so busy we forget to stop and smell the roses ‘so to speak’. I’ve been so busy lately that with a blink of an eye it’s already 2012! When did life start passing me by? I have so much left to do before I turn 30 and this year is going to be my year.

    Let’s start off with what I will accomplish before the end of the year:

    Bachelors Degree in Psychology by June
    Starting Masters in Journalism
    Finish Remodeling my house ~ At least in the inside…
    And…. A few things I won’t say because I don’t want to jinx them 😉

    That’s not such a long list, now is it?

    Ever wonder what you will accomplish before your 30? 40? 50? I really don’t, I live in the moment and I try to focus on what is right in front of me at the moment, but getting older I do start to wonder and think about all the things I should have done by now that I’m still working on. So although this year is going to be busy I am going to make it an effort to write more on my site and if you have any questions or concerns you need advice on, I’m only an email away.

    As for today. Happy Friday the 13th!!! Let’s start this weekend out with a SMILE~

    xo
    kristin nicole

  • Saturday Morning Breakfast for Two

    I got inspired by a recipe in Barefoot Contessa’s cook book. It’s called Omelet for two.

    Ingredients

    * 1/4 pound good thick-cut bacon
    * 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    * 1 cup medium-diced Yukon gold potato
    * 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
    * 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
    * 5 extra-large eggs
    * 2 tablespoons milk or cream
    * 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    * 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    * 1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
    * 4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, diced, plus extra grated cheese, for garnish

    Directions

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

    Cut the bacon crosswise in 1-inch slices. Cook the bacon in an 8-inch ovenproof saute pan over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Drain the bacon on paper towels and discard the fat from the pan. Add the butter to the pan, and then add the potato and yellow onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onion starts to brown and the potato is tender but firm. Add the jalapeno pepper and cook for 30 seconds.

    Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together with a fork. Stir in the scallions and diced Cheddar. When the potato is cooked, add the bacon to the pan and pour over the egg mixture. Place the pan in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the omelet puffs and the eggs are almost cooked in the center. Sprinkle with a handful of grated Cheddar and bake for another minute. Serve hot directly from the pan. (to see her recipe click on link foodnetwork.com-ina-garten )

    My recipe:

    Ingredients:

    * 1/4 pound good thick-cut turkey bacon
    * 1/2 cup of chorizo
    * 1 tablespoon salted butter
    * 1 cup medium-diced Red potato
    * 1/2 cup chopped Red onion
    * 6 large eggs
    * 2 tablespoons fat free milk
    * 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    * 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    * 1/4 cup chopped curly parsley, & 1 twig of Rosemary
    * 2 to 3 handfuls of mozzarella cheese, plus extra mozzarella and one palm full of Mexican mixed cheese, for garnish

    Directions:

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

    Cut the bacon in 1-inch slices. Cook the bacon in an 8-inch ovenproof saute pan over medium-low heat (If you use Turkey Bacon like I do, spray the pan with Pam first because the turkey bacon tends to stick to the bottom of the pan) for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Drain the bacon on paper towels and discard the fat from the pan. Add the butter to the pan, and then add the potato and red onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onion starts to brown and the potato is tender but firm. Add the Chorizo for about 2-4 minutes.

    Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together with a fork. Stir in the parsley and rosemary along with the mozzarella cheese. When the potato is cooked, add the bacon to the pan and pour over the egg mixture. Place the pan in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the omelet puffs and the eggs are almost cooked in the center. Sprinkle with a handful of grated Mexican mixed cheese and mozzarella cheese and bake for another minute.(Depending how much cheese you like). Serve hot directly from the pan.

    Yummmm

    Boy was this dish DELISH! I couldn’t believe how my inspiration for cooking this dish came from stuff I had at home mixed with Barefoot Contessa’s recipe. I definitely want to try Ida’s recipe, but I wouldn’t mind doing mine again either. I might even try a healthier version next weekend. Hope you enjoy, it’s a must try recipe. By the way, it says Omelet for Two but this is more for about 3 people. I only ate half of my slice.

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • Saturday Night Dinner Recipes

    Saturday night I decided to try a few recipes from my oh so favorite, foodnetwork.com

    Shopping:

    For the appetizer I decided to go for the Spinach and Artichoke Dip. First let me start off by saying Frozen Artichokes are hard to come by. I first started my shopping at Whole Foods, and they didn’t have any, so we headed to WinnDixie where I didn’t find them there either, so off to Publix, because Publix has to have them right? Ehhhh WRONG! They didn’t have them either, so as I ask people no one tells me that they come in a can, and I didn’t find this out until later when my boyfriends mom told us about it. So I bought baby artichokes because I couldn’t even find just one regular sized artichoke at Publix. I get home and find out that cooking this thing is going to take about 25-45 minutes. So we opted to return it and try buying the artichokes in a can at another Publix. While I was there, I decided to try and see if they had the frozen ones, and to my surprise, they did! YEAH for me, I can do the recipe as follows. So off to my house to start my first course.

    BTW:

    My other recipes included my Main Dish – Rib-Eye Steak with Black Olive Vinaigrette and for my side dish, Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, Gorgonzola and Herbs. They ask for Roma Tomatoes but I couldn’t find those either in Whole Foods, so thanks to the help of one of their employee’s I found out that Roma Tomatoes is the same as a Plum Tomato which they did have. Don’t worry folks, I didn’t just take his word, my boyfriend looked it up on the iPhone and found the same thing. And just in case you are ever wondering, Red Pepper Flakes is the same as Chili Pepper Flakes. (Another item I couldn’t find). So on to the recipes…

    Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip:

    Ingredients

    * 1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach
    * 11/2 cups thawed, chopped frozen artichoke hearts
    * 6 ounces cream cheese
    * 1/4 cup sour cream
    * 1/4 cup mayonnaise
    * 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
    * 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    * 1/4 teaspoon salt
    * 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

    Directions

    Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender and drain. Discard liquid. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until hot and soft. Stir in rest of ingredients and serve hot. — Recipe courtesy Alton Brown (if you want to see the recipe click on link foodnetwork.com )

    I followed the directions to a tee, and it did come out a little creamier then I thought, so if you don’t like too much cream cut the portions I say a 1/4 or 1/2 of what they ask. However, at first I wasn’t sure because it looked so creamy, but I have to admit, it came out DELISH! I added a few pitta chips on the side and get ready to dig in.

    Main Dish – Rib-Eye Steak with Black Olive Vinaigrette:

    Ingredients
    Rib-eye Steak:

    * 1 2-inch rib-eye steak, boneless
    * 1 tablespoons olive oil
    * 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    Black Olive Vinaigrette:

    * 1/2 cup black olives, pitted
    * 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    * 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    * 1 garlic clove
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    * 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    * 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
    * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

    Directions

    For the Rib-eye: Preheat your grill pan on medium high heat. Coat the beef with olive oil and sprinkle with the Herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes a side until the meat is medium-rare, remove from heat, and allow to rest.

    For the Black Olive Vinaigrette: Combine the olives, red wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until mixed. In a small pitcher combine the olive oil and vegetable oil. Drizzle the oil into the blender with the machine running. Transfer the vinaigrette to a serving dish. Stir in the parsley and serve with the rib-eye. — Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis (for the recipe go to foodnetwork-everday-italian.com )

    At first I wasn’t sure I would like the Black Olive Vinaigrette because I am not a huge fan of black olives, although I don’t mind a few in my salad or on my pizza, I am not one to just pick them out and eat them. So I didn’t add as many olives as she required, just a few less, not much a difference and instead of 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil (btw vegetable oil is very similar to canola oil) I only added 5, but boy was it good. I just wanted more on top of my Medium Rare steak which by the way also came out DELISH! The Rib-Eye is simple to make and depending how you like it cooked that’s the only thing time consuming. If you like it like my boyfriend and I do, Medium Rare, then the dish only takes about 6-8 minutes on each side, depending on how thick you bought your Rib-Eye.

    My Side Dish – Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, Gorgonzola and Herbs:

    Ingredients

    * 12 Roma tomatoes, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
    * 1/4 cup olive oil
    * 2 cloves garlic, minced
    * 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
    * 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    * 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
    * 3/4 cup finely crumbled Gorgonzola or grated Parmesan cheese
    * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

    Directions

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

    Using a teaspoon or grapefruit spoon, remove the seeds from the tomatoes. Place the tomato halves, cut side down, on paper towels to drain, about 5 minutes.

    In a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using clean hands, gently toss the drained tomato halves in the oil mixture until coated. Marinate the tomatoes for 10 minutes.

    In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and Gorgonzola cheese.

    Place the marinated tomato halves, cut side up, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Fill each tomato half with the bread crumb filling. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until slightly softened and the underside of the tomatoes are brown.

    Arrange the cooked tomatoes on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately. –Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis (For recipe click on link Foodnetwork.com-everyday-italian )

    Okay so my only problem was finding the Roma Tomatoes, also if you are only cooking for 4 people, 12 is way too many, 5 tomatoes are plenty. So I followed the directions and I used Gorgonzola NOT Parmesan as my cheese. It’s your choice but if you have never tried Gorgonzola I say try it, but make sure to get one that is not too strong if you don’t like a strong cheese, and if you do, go for it. But we opted for the creamer Gorgonzola. So because I used less tomatoes don’t use as many bread crumbs in your recipe. This plate came out good, but my boyfriend and I weren’t too in love with the bread crumbs, however the idea inspired me and next time I might use the garlic to season the tomatoes and the Gorgonzola cheese for the filling but I might add a few different items and leave out the bread crumbs. However, all in all the dishes came out DELISH!

    I love trying new recipes and next Saturday I’ll probably try another.

    xo,
    kristin nicole